Frequently Asked Questions

All SYA registrants are required to complete health documents via our partner CampDoc. The secure CampDoc portal allows Summer Youth Academy registrants to easily download required health forms and upload completed documents by the outlined deadline. Link to create your account on CampDoc will be emailed separately approximately one week after SYA registration.

Health Documents include:

• Summer Youth Academy Health Form, physician-signed.
• Physical (within last 3 years) & Immunization history.
• Insurance card - copy of front & back.
• Medicine Administration form, if bringing/taking medicines to SYA session, physician-signed.
• Plan of Care form, if any allergies/special care needs noted.

Missing/incomplete health documents will impact a registrants ability to check-in and participate in the SYA session; refunds nor credit will be issued in this scenario. Please ensure a parent/guardian is present at check-in the first day.

Our certified staff will administer routine and emergency first aid, and prescription & OTC medications following written physician orders on the camper’s Medication Administration Form. We do not dispense any medications that are not authorized by physician. Participants may not keep any medicines on their person/in their rooms while on campus.

All medication MUST be in the original bottle/container with the dosage on the bottle matching the physician’s written instructions on the Medication Administration Form. Medications that are not listed on this form, are expired, have missing labels, or in containers other than the original bottle will not be accepted at camp and impact check-in/participation.

Please only bring the number of pills that are necessary to be dispensed for the week of camp. Unused medicine that is not picked up at check-out will be discarded as required by the State of CT Office of Early Childhood Youth Camp Guidelines.

Medicines will be collected during check-in; please do not pack medicines with luggage/in belongings but have separate and readily accessible. All medicines are kept in our Medical Room on the same floor as residential rooms and readily accessible by appropriate staff. During day-time programming, emergent medicines (ie: inhalers and Epi-Pens) are carried by staff in a high-visibility First Aid bag, accompanying the students.

Day-campers may leave medicines checked-in through duration of session, picking up on last day at check-out, if have quantity/secondary set at home to meet needs.

Guardian/emergency contact(s) are usually:

• Not notified if a participant is treated for minor medical concerns such as cuts or scratches, headache or upset stomach.
• Notified if a participant becomes ill, is vomiting, has diarrhea, respiratory difficulty, repeated visitation to Medical Room, or requires medical treatment off site; participant may be required to leave campus/the session. Note, participants will not use the UNew Haven Health Center, but may be taken to emergency room if more than general first-aid is needed.

Staff make every effort to help participants who struggle with separation from home. If, after one or more days/nights a participant is still homesick and unwilling to adjust to SYA session, the guardian/emergency contact will be notified and asked to take the participant home; refunds nor credit will be issued in this scenario.

For safety reasons, non-participant visitors are not allowed during SYA sessions. Should you need to drop-off an item, connect with your student in-person, or drop-off/pick-up outside of identified timeframes, please provide notice via email at conferenceservices@newhaven.edu so our staff can work to accommodate your request. Upon check-in an on-call number will also be shared for short notice needs. Non-adherence to this policy may result in participant dismissal from the program, no refund granted.

The Summer Youth Academy session is an exploratory academic program for mature, self-motivated students looking to have an enriching summer experience. The ability of participants to follow program and university rules, federal, state and local laws, and to act independently in a supportive college setting is required. Participants are responsible to get themselves up and ready in the morning, eat meals, attend all courses and workshops, and engage in activities. Participants are expected to refrain from actions that prevent any individual from having a safe and respectful experience. Any activity deemed to be a threat to the health and safety of participants is strictly prohibited.

Summer Youth Academy sessions are a supervised and scheduled experience. A team of trained Conference & Academy staff, Assistant Camp Director, and Camp Director coordinate check-in & check-out, meals, evening activities, and overnight supervision. Overnight staff live in separate rooms on the same floor as participants in the residence hall. Participants receive the staff on-call number after check-in and it is visibly posted in the residence hall – this number is accessible via call and/or text around-the-clock. Daytime & academic sessions are staffed by a team of University of New Haven faculty and upperclassmen Teaching Assistants.

Failure to abide by the program and residence hall rules and regulations (on-campus or off-campus), laws, policies, codes and procedures or failure to respect the authority of program staff members in their enforcement may result in sanctions including but not limited to:

• Parental/Guardian emergency contact
• Limitations on program events/activities
• Verbal and/or written warnings
• Restitution for property damage
• Dismissal from the program

If dismissal is deemed necessary, the participant will be sent home at their expense. No refunds will be issued.

Meals during Summer Youth Academy sessions are offered by our campus dining services team in our Food on Demand (F.O.D.) Dining Hall. For participants who have special dietary and nutritional needs, we welcome you to share these via the SYA registration form and/or health forms. Please feel free to email us at Conferenceservices@newhaven.edu if you have any questions regarding the menu.

To be attentive to those with dietary needs & allergens, as well as visitor policy for SYA sessions, participants are not permitted to use external food delivery (ie: DoorDash, GrubHub, Ubereats, etc.). We support even the pickiest eaters & welcome participants to share, even during the session, any feedback or specific needs!

For sample of a day’s menu, please click here.

Day participants enjoy lunch each weekday as part of the session; Overnight participants enjoy dinner after checking-in Sunday evening, breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday-Thursday, and then breakfast and lunch on Friday.

Participants parking a car on campus during their SYA session will receive a temporary pass – please email Conferenceservices@newhaven.edu ahead of your session to share make/model/year and license plate of the vehicle.

Day Camp: Day campers may be dropped off between 7:45 - 8:30 a.m. each weekday of the session to check-in with our staff; we recommend a parent/guardian is present at check-in the first day. Please arrange for pick-up at 4:30 p.m. each weekday of the session when our staff will check students out for the day. Specific location will be shared via email in the weeks leading up to your session.

Overnight Camp: Those participating in our residential Accommodation Experience should plan to move-in early-evening the Sunday prior to session start when our staff will host check-in; we recommend a parent/guardian is present at check-in the first day. Please arrange for pick-up at 4:30 p.m. Friday of the session when our staff will check students out & collect hall cards & keys. Specific location and check-in details will be shared via email in the weeks leading up to your session.

If special circumstances necessitate drop-off/pick-up outside of these timeframes for Day and Overnight camps, please provide notice via email at Conferenceservices@newhaven.edu so our staff can work to accommodate your request.

Supplies for the academic programming are included in the program cost. Each participant will be provided with a t-shirt, lanyard, nametag, notebook, pen, and bag to hold these materials. If an academic session/activity requires materials, these will be provided by the instructor.

Linen packages are available at an additional charge – email Conferenceservices@newhaven.edu for additional information/to reserve.

Do not bring expensive or irreplaceable items to campus as we are not responsible for lost or missing personal property.

The following items are not permitted at Summer Youth Academy sessions: weapons of any kind; candles, tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs. Note, UNew Haven is a smokeless campus.

Overnight packing recommendations may be found by clicking here.

Day participants are encouraged to only bring what they are able to carry through the day; recommendations may be found by clicking here.

All participants are expected to be respectful and responsible within UNew Haven residence halls. Residents are expected to refrain from actions that prevent any individual from having a safe and respectful community living experience. Basic health standards are expected to be upheld regarding sanitary conditions, hygiene and appropriate use of bathrooms and common areas. It is expected that participants will keep bathrooms, hallways, lounges and their assigned rooms clean. Cleaning services staff will not enter a room that is occupied by a minor, therefore residents must keep their room clean and discard of any trash in the designated trash areas.

Health & Safety Inspections:
UNew Haven staff reserves the right to enter residence hall rooms without the consent of the occupant in order to provide for the general well-being and protection of the community. Residential staff may conduct inspections to seek out and correct potentially dangerous situations before they cause damage or harm. If violations are observed in the case of an inspection, they may be reported.

Students are required to always stay on campus during the program, unless with a staff member during an approved field trip or off-campus outing. Staff will conduct bed checks after evening activities, when participants are required to be in their rooms during quiet time. While we understand participants may need additional time to wind-down, we recognize quiet-time during lights-out so others in the shared living space may fall asleep. Additional security personnel are on-duty at the main entrance of the residence hall during the overnight hours.

Each residence hall room is furnished with university-owned furniture that must remain in the room at all times – this includes bed frame and xl-twin mattress, desk, chair, wardrobe/dresser. In addition, common area furnishings must remain in public areas and be respected at all times. Participants may be held financially responsible for costs associated with replacing missing or damaged furniture, games and fixtures in rooms, lounges or game areas. Please note, linen packages are available at an additional charge – email Conferenceservices@newhaven.edu for additional information/to reserve.

We take into consideration stated lifestyle habits and roommate requests, if any. While we do our best to satisfy your requests, we cannot guarantee that participants will be assigned a requested roommate. Summer Youth Academy housing is gender neutral supportive, however, no one will be put in a gender-neutral room without prior consent.

For any overnight accommodation requests (ie: specific roommate, need lower bunk, etc.), please email Conferenceservices@newhaven.edu.

All residence hall cards/keys must be returned at the conclusion of the session. There is a $115 fee for each lost key and a $10 fee for each lost card. Should a participant become locked-out, a staff on-call number is provided upon check-in for the program which the participant may text and/or call.

Refunds will not be granted after June 1, 2024. Prior to June 1, 2024 refunds may be granted, deducting a 15% processing fee. Please note, refunds will not be issued to accommodate a discount code after registration. There will be no prorated refunds for late arrivals/early departures to/from the program. Our refund policy is inclusive of a registrant with missing/incomplete health documents, illness or injury, homesickness, or sent home for not adhering to camp policies.

University of New Haven has the right to cancel any program at any time for any reason within its sole discretion. UNew Haven will provide a full refund in the event that a program is canceled by UNew Haven, at its sole discretion.